Shalom my friends!
Adam came into being from two virgins:from the spirit and from the virgin earth,and Christ was born of a virgin to heal the initial fall. (Barnstone, 282)

This verse from the Gospel of Philip gathers many layers of Christian teaching regarding emanation and posits them in such an essential way that the reader is left with questions: What metaphorically is virginity? What is the “initial fall”?

When we recall the discourse between Adonai Yeshua and Nicodemus from John 3, we’re given a profound key to unfold this logion from St. Philip:

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ 5Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” 8The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ 9Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ 10Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

When we align this teaching from the very outset of Bereshit (Genesis), we see a similar pattern:

1In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.

What both of these verses have in common points to matter and spirit, which are both the Mother. The word matter is fascinating in itself. Derived from the Latin word ‘Mater’, it means the substance occupying space; the Latin word literally means ‘Mother’. When we speak of our Earthly Mother, we are simultaneously speaking of matter: how we’re occupying space. The Spirit in our lineage is also called the Mother Spirit, for it is She who is our life breath and awareness. Adam here is all human ones, born with a form and a breath from one Mother Spirit.

What then of virginity? Of this, Sophians are never literal when contemplating the Virgin Mother, but instead understand virginity to point to a much more profound mystery: Emanation. In our lineage, an emanation appearing in bodily form moves, lives, and appears like any one of us, but unlike most of us, such an emanation has recognized by way of a direct experience their bornless nature. Their realization of this recognition is their capacity to transmit light, gnosis, and all manner of wonders spontaneously arising from the bornless nature, its love and compassion.

By emanation, the Apostles’ Creed speaks that Yeshua, “was begotten, not made, of one being with the Father.” Begotten is emanated. But emanated from where? From outer space? From heaven above? Archaically, what was holy was imagined vertically above, but in the Gospel of Thomas Adonai Yeshua equally speaks of holiness deep within us. As above is within, so the source of emanation, of begetting, is from deep within. Most mysterious is how this bornless nature is shared by every born being.

Why our bornless nature is unknown, why holiness or the source feels so removed from us in our experience of coming into being, is precisely why Christ emanated, to heal the initial fall, which is the duality of the knowledge of good and evil opposed within ourselves. When we remember that the root word for healing in Hebrew is raph, we perceive healing this initial fall more precisely. Consider the name of the Archangel of healing: Raph EL, the healing power of EL. Along with meaning healing, raph also points to mending, even weaving. Substitute these meanings for a new hearing of this word healing.

Christ came to mend the initial fall.
Christ came to weave the initial fall.

How Christ heals, mends, and weaves this duality within us is the heart of St. Philip’s concentrated little teaching: for a change to transform us, such a change must come from beyond what is known.

Consider in your own life a time when you’ve needed an empowerment, a new frame of reference, to make a needed change. Simply, the “initial fall” in our experience is how we feel separate or removed from the direct presence of our source and life. This separation is manifest as the karmic continuum of our preconditions, expectations, and inmost private assumptions of who and what we believe God, or reality, to be. While negative karma can be purified and refined, karma, like the Law, does not liberate us. All the sin offering of animals required by the Law did was maintain an indirect channel to God’s presence, never uniting us directly: “For the blood of bulls and goats can never take away sin (Hebrews 10:4).” St. Paul even says in his epistle to the Romans that all the Law could do was reveal our ignorant condition, never liberate us from ignorance and sin.

We can see something of this problem recurring in secular society. How easy it is, for example, to shift a karmic pattern of behavior or view, believing it’s been resolved, only finding that the problem was rearranged. Globally, consider how many solutions to any of the many crises in our world only create more problems. It’s a deep conundrum, how nothing changes that much here, if our starting point is here.

What happens, however, when we shift from here? The deepest solutions appear to come from far within, far beyond, what is known or imagined. To make a change within ourselves or a vast group, un-knowing must be allowed. By our going deep within, living from within, we dynamically surrender in confident patience, waiting upon the Spirit as a light from above. As our transformation requires a vantage from beyond our present knowledge, so the “initial fall” is healed, mended, and woven by Christ who was emanated, ‘not made’, from beyond this historical matrix.

Our faith in the Christ is our faith in the Bornless Nature, His and ours alike.

Thank you for this thought-provoking post, Brother! It seems that even a simple change in our perceptions can work wonders and weave a whole new story in our lives. Forgive my simplicity here but changing our perceptions seems a daunting task. So, perhaps, starting from what is simple, we can change our view of the little things and allow Spirit to build from there. As an example, if I see my daily interaction with others as a chore, perhaps I can uplift that perception prayerfully with the thought that interacting with others is a blessing and truly is interaction with our Mother. If I listen to others as I would listen to the Mother, I may begin to find wisdom and joy in these interactions, even when they may appear uncomfortable on the most basic level. If I see my job as tedious perhaps I can uplift this perception and view it as part of a grand whole, a wondrous part of the scheme of evolution. These new perceptions require that "new starting point," going beyond what we usually think and discovering that perceptions really are quite ephemeral. Where do they come from?

To make a change within ourselves or a vast group, un-knowing must be allowed.

That almost sounds to me as if we must "unmake our knowing" so we can open up and know something else! Our perceptions need to be born again, from the Spirit within us.
Certainly, my brother, you have got me thinking, and that is often a good thing!
May all beings be blest!

Yeshua said to Mary, "Seek to know nothing, and seek to understand nothing; do not seek to be anybody. In this way you will acquire the perfection of wisdom."

This isn't a simple contemplation at all, sister. If we begin to re-view everything that our very human (Behamit) perception tells us is mundane we may be able to transform this very limiting, "daunting" viewpoint. Can we begin to view everything through the eyes of Our Mother, or if not that, with the realization that we are interacting wtih Our Mother here in Malkut or Assyiah, and thus develop an appreciation for the concept that all is sacred and the earth is perfect exactly as it is... thus, peace.

I'm typing this from work right now and feeling Ma speaking to me in a very real way through what I am reading on this page.

A father recognizes Yeshua, a master of disciples who could not exorcise a demon from his child, imploring Yeshua, "If you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us." Jesus said to him, "If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes."

St. Matthew adds to the Master's teaching, answering his disciples why they could not drive the demon out, "Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there', and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."

What's most relevant of all, is that both versions of this event follow the first recorded experience of the Christ's Light Transmission: the Transfiguration. The mountain on which this Transfiguration occurred is the same metaphor the Master makes of karma: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to your karma, 'Move from here to there', and it will move.'

Only what is transcendent of our karma can redirect or even dissolve karma. As Christ entered in from beyond and behind this historical, karmic matrix to create an opening, a window through which we can see beyond our limitation, so my faith in this Presence and Power enters from beyond and behind my personal story, showing me that I am a character inseparable from other characters. If my character finds my whole story's mountain daunting, then I simply need to look down at my next step up its path of ascent.

Karma gathers, little by little; mountains themselves are accumulations of innumerable little grains, the size of mustard seeds. By the Gracious and Loving-Kind EL, our journey has been structured in such a way that promises a merciful reverse of karma's time: However slowly karma gathers into mountains, those same mountains of illusory beliefs are swiftly dissolved when awareness is focused and concentrated into the tiniest, seed-sized point. As awareness is more powerful than ignorance, perhaps this is why Mercy is far more overwhelming than Severity. This is certainly so in my experience.

As my Elder sister once declared in the Shekinah: "The only problem is that there is no problem."

When thinking about this point of karma and the law, i find Romans 5 helpful.

11And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

12Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

13(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Is not Paul telling us here that if we follow Jesus and step out of the logic trap, there really is no sin (or Karma). Moses brought the law (gave rules to avoid karma), Jesus showed the truth and the way.

Elder Gideon+ wrote:Karma gathers, little by little; mountains themselves are accumulations of innumerable little grains, the size of mustard seeds. By the Gracious and Loving-Kind EL, our journey has been structured in such a way that promises a merciful reverse of karma's time: However slowly karma gathers into mountains, those same mountains of illusory beliefs are swiftly dissolved when awareness is focused and concentrated into the tiniest, seed-sized point. As awareness is more powerful than ignorance, perhaps this is why Mercy is far more overwhelming than Severity. This is certainly so in my experience.

As I was reading these words by Elder Gideon+, a phrase often repeated comes to mind - Being Known by God.

Just imagine awareness focused and concentrated into the tiniest seed-sized point, becoming aware of us, knowing us. Being seen/known in this way feels to be the most intimate, revealing, blissful experience possible. And ignorance in such an experience would be devastating.

I am feeling that to be known in such a way requires transparency. If we do not allow ourselves to become transparent in the gaze, we might just crumble. And perhaps it is becoming transparent that allows us to become Awareness itself?